In the field of plasma physics, a need exists for magnetically confining a toroidal plasma column along an endless equilibrium axis in a vacuum containment means. Various means and methods have been proposed and used for this purpose, comprising the tokamak of U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,361, wherein poloidal field coil means are combined with a toroidal field and a plasma current stably to confine the plasma column in a circular cross-section. While these arrangements have been useful and have accomplished the desired confinement, they have been expensive, since they have required large diameter plasma cross-sections. Also, it has been difficult to increase the plasma volume in an equilibrium by using elliptical plasma columns, without decreasing the vertical stability of the plasma column.